Introduction
Recently we caught up with Savannah Blair and Lindsey Barronian, two of our senior design staff, to ask them about what changes they’ve seen in the industry and what these changes might mean for architecture trends as the industry moves forward.
Blair earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 2006 from Washington State University.
Barronian earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Architecture and Environmental Design at California Polytechnic State University in 2012.
Innovation Is Off The Chain
Since Blair and Barronian started their careers, there’s been a boom in building science and sustainability.
“We built the same way for thousands of years,” Barronian says, “so the fact that we're changing the way that we're building over a 15-year time period is miraculously fast.”
These innovations are exciting for people who want to build homes that last and continue to perform well for decades.
Safety improvements:
The industry is turning its back on materials that negatively affect health.
Construction techniques are improving to control for mold and environmental hazards.
Delays And Costs Are Rising
COVID-19 changed the way the industry functions.
“Costs are rising and there have been supply issues ever since the pandemic that persist today,” says Blair.
There’s a lot more waiting — for samples during the selection process and for large shipments during construction.
Some contractors still operate with pre-pandemic timelines, which can lead to significant delays. Flexibility has become part of the game.
Today, Blair says, architects need to communicate clearly with both clients and contractors and send reminders as needed — otherwise, delays can completely stop a project.
Changing Workforce Dynamics
Barronian notes that delays and costs are also tied to demographic shifts in the trades.
“Our tradespeople are disappearing and retiring,” she says, “and there are not a lot of young tradespeople right now. There's a lot of work to be done, and everybody is busy and many can't take on more work. So that's making timelines longer.”
With the cost of materials rising as well, architects have a special role in helping people scale their plans in a way that aligns with their vision and budget.
Customer Service Is Less Predictable
Product representative positions now have a higher turnover rate, and it’s affecting the industry.
Impacts of turnover:
New reps often lack product knowledge or understanding of energy codes.
Communication lags and occasional costly errors can occur.
Architects are stepping in to educate product reps and clients to keep projects on track.
At the same time, the industry faces a shortage of architects, creating additional bottlenecks.
Takeaway:
If you’re building or renovating, be prepared to muster extra patience throughout the process.
Architectural Training Has Changed
“One thing I noticed, and am a little surprised by, is that architecture school is really different than when I went through,” Blair says.
From Hand Drawing to Digital-First
Courses used to teach hand drawing and sketching as non-negotiable skills. Blair recalls that students were even penalized for using computers early in their studies.
Even now, she says,
“It’s faster. It doesn't bog me down.”
Today, students do all their work digitally, which can lead to errors due to a lack of understanding of the data being entered into 3D modeling programs.
While it’s not all bad, Blair believes there’s a missing link:
“It’s hard for them to sketch out ideas live, with a client.”
She feels fortunate to have learned hand-drafting techniques and to have seen her designs built in the real world.
“Is this a disaster? No,” she says. “But it can make it more challenging for architectural graduates who are just getting started.”
Pandemic-Era Graduates
Barronian adds that recent graduates who started their studies during the pandemic face unique challenges.
“There's just a lot less hands-on learning,” she says.
Remote education has limited face-to-face collaboration with instructors — opening new opportunities but also leaving gaps in real-time design feedback.
Women In The Industry
In 2009, 41% of architecture graduates were women; by 2021, that number had risen to 51% (Wikipedia).
According to NCARB (2023):
“Over the past 5 years, gender representation has increased from 38% to 43% for women in the new architect population.”
However, only 27% of licensed architects in the U.S. are currently women.
Blair and Barronian confirm these trends: there are more women in the field than ever before, though the industry is still largely dominated by white men.
Barronian notes:
“Even though half of my graduating class at Cal Poly was women, a good number of them didn’t become licensed architects. Instead, they used their training to springboard into other industries.”
Blair adds:
“No matter what firm you’re working in today, there’s almost always a woman in the room. Artisans Group is the exception, of course. We attract women.”
Mothers In The Industry
Barronian says she’s noticed a shift in the number of women who continue working after having children.
Earlier in her career:
“There were women in the industry but none of them had children, even though almost every man I worked with was a father.”
Most of those men had stay-at-home wives, setting an uneven precedent.
Barronian reflects:
“For the longest time, I thought ‘Well, I can get married, but I can't have kids and stay in the industry.’ That was a topic that my husband and I grappled with for a long time. I finally decided that I'm just gonna do it. I'm going to be that example for the younger generation.”
“I want to be a woman in the architecture industry who also has kids. I'm trying to buck the statistics. I think that's really important, even if it’s nothing other than me being there and thinking, I'm doing it.”
We’re Cool With Change
We’re proud of our flexibility and resilience.
As the industry evolves, we’ve transformed along with it — and sometimes ahead of it — ensuring we can anticipate what our clients will need throughout the design and building process.
By hiring excellent staff like Blair and Barronian, we continue to stay current with architecture trends while staying rooted in time-tested practices that make beautiful, sustainable, and enduring houses a reality.
© Artisans Group Architecture + Planning — Sustainable Architecture, Passive House, and Passive Building Design Experts
Posted on January 01, 2025
